British 303 MG Blank?

[oldshotandshell]

I believe that the empty cartridge case next to the standard 303 case above may be a British 303 Machine Gun blank but I can only find reference to this type of cartridge having straight sides to the reduced front end. Can anyone please confirm the identification? Many thanks.

 

[blackwatch]

https://sites.google.com/site/britmilammo/-303-inch/-303-inch-blank---other

 

[ron3350]

I have called my one a Trench Howitzer igniter.
It is headstamped: R16L V11. and has a bevelled mouth.

 

[oldshotandshell]

Yep, that is the blank with the parallel front end. As you can see, mine does not have a parallel front end, hence my question.

 

[oldshotandshell]

Do you have any references to your type of cartridge? Not the blank referred to by blackwatch?

 

[ron3350]

The neck is not parallel for the 2" Trench Mortar Cartridge.
The late B.A.Temple from Australia published a 5 set .303 ammunition ID manuals c.1990 which are possibly still obtainable from Ian Skennerton. Volume 3 (Blanks) is misplaced in my library but I show the case shape (like yours) with tapered neck as a dummy from book 5 made in India. This set is worth buying for information.

 

[TimG]

Error, error.

TimG

 

[ron3350]

Tim.
If a Dummy has the taper it means that the case is correct and not caused when fired. Ron.

 

[smle2009]

It is a propelling cartridge for the 2" trench mortar (plum pudding) as stated above, originally it would have had the top half chemically blackened like the one in the photo ( B.15 VII)

Tony